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Theses and DissertationsDecember 2014
Male Teachers in Elementary General Music
Scott Victor GregerUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
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Recommended Citation
Greger, Scott Victor, "Male Teachers in Elementary General Music" (2014). Theses and Dissertations. 579.
MALE TEACHERS IN ELEMENTARY GENERAL MUSIC
by
Scott V. Greger
A Thesis Submitted in
Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
Master of Music
at
The University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
December 2014
ii
ABSTRACT
MALE TEACHERS IN ELEMENTARY GENERAL MUSIC
by
Scott V. Greger
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2014
Under the Supervision of Associate Professor Sheila Feay-Shaw
Male elementary general music teachers are rare, and little research exists about them. The men who teach music at the elementary level often face challenges that they must overcome through their own experimentation. One such challenge is the octave difference in singing voice between teacher and student. This study reviewed the existing literature on male elementary teachers and investigated five male elementary general music teachers at various stages in their careers. Eighteen structured interview questions were used, and the answers audio recorded and transcribed. The teacher responses were analyzed and compared to the author’s own experience as a male elementary general music teacher. The knowledge gained outlined pedagogical decisions and new
educational approaches for male elementary general music teachers in particular but also techniques which can benefit teachers in general. Contrary to existing research, these men did not find gender stereotypes contributed to their professional challenges. The octave difference in singing voice between adult males and elementary students was the sole challenge related to gender, and several pedagogical solutions were identified. Personal stories and experiences are presented to give practical advice to all male music educators considering or currently teaching elementary general music.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Introduction……… ……. 1
Review of Literature………... 2
Male Presence in Education……… 3
Male Teachers and Student Interactions………. 5
Negative Factors Impacting Male Teachers……… 7
Female Dominated Areas of Education……….. 9
Issues in Music Education………... 12
Musical Issues Impacting Male Teachers……… 12
Chapter 2: Methodology……… 14
Study Participants……… 14
Teaching Staff……….. 17
Chapter 3: Becoming an Elementary Teacher……….. 18
Initial Career Aspirations……… 18
Becoming a Music Educator………... 19
Becoming an Elementary Music Educator………. 22
Chapter 4: Professional Successes……… 25
Professional Challenges……….. 29
Solutions to Professional Challenges and the Impact of Gender… 34 Chapter 5: Overcoming the Octave Difference……… 39
Singing in Falsetto………...……… 41
Methods for Teaching Young Singers……… 42
Chapter 6: Recommending Elementary General Music……… 50
Advice for All Music Educators……….. 53
Conclusions……….. 56
References……… 59
Appendix A Interview Questions………. 62
Appendix B “Cowboy Joe”……….. 63
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2012 survey, 1.9% of preschool and kindergarten teachers are male. That number increases to 18.6% in elementary and middle school, and 42.7% in high school (Bureau, 2012). P. Sargent (2001), a sociologist at San Diego State University completed a study of male elementary classroom teachers that found large disparities between the numbers of males and females teaching at this level. The information Sargent received from the local Office of Education concerning statistical data on the number of males teaching elementary school revealed that of 146 schools, 30% had male principals; out of 3,444 K-6 teachers, 9% were male; and of 2,002 K-3 teachers, only 3% were male. Sargent (2001) stated:
The same gendered societal division of labor that finds women facing resistance and, at times, hostility when they attempt to enter traditionally men’s spheres also produces obstacles to men crossing into the activities normally associated with women, especially activities involving contact with children…Correcting men’s dramatic underrepresentation in elementary education is not a simple question of inducing or compelling men to cross over. It is a matter of allowing and assisting them to do so. (p. 181)
When I first began teaching music, I was placed at the secondary level, as most male music teachers are. Moving into a new position, I was surprised to find out that elementary general music classes had been added to my schedule. I had little experience with this age group, and I knew that I would face several challenges when a female colleague asked, “How are you going to teach them to sing?” I had no a clear answer for her question.
Existing research regarding male teachers in elementary education is often conducted investigating stereotypes of male elementary teachers, how to better connect
with male students, or ways to increase the number of male teachers in elementary education. The small collection of research related to male elementary music teachers focuses on one or two male elementary teachers, or a pre-service music education student. None of these studies address what leads males to teach at this level, practical ways men approach teaching elementary music students, or why they choose to continue to teach at this level. One specific challenge faced by these men teaching elementary students to sing is how to address the octave difference in vocal range. The following study will explore how male music educators are teaching elementary students to become strong musicians through a variety of general music experiences.
Review of Literature
Several studies have focused on male elementary school teachers in general including the small number of men teaching in elementary schools, male college students in teacher preparation programs, and possible reasons for improving the low numbers of male teachers at this level (Benton DeCorse & Vogtle, 1997; Biedenkapp & Goering, 1971; Cushman, 2005; Cushman, 2010; Hansen & Mulholland, 2005; Hébert, 2000; Johnson et al., 2010; Martino, 2008a; Martino 2008b; Mills et al., 2004; Penny, 1999; Piburn, 2010; Sanatullova-Allison, 2010; Sargent, 2001; Sternod, 2011; Spilt, et al., 2011). Four studies focus specifically on elementary male music educators. Price et al. (1994) is a quantitative study of whether the male timbre, falsetto, or sine wave models provide the best method for teaching young singers to match pitch. Roulston and Misawa (2011) interviewed one male and five female music teachers about the teachers’
descriptions of gender in relation to elementary music education. They found that:
(1) teachers’ conceptualization of the relevance of gender in thinking about music teaching varied considerably; (2) the role of the male teacher in the elementary
school was described in significantly different ways to that of the role of female teacher; and (3) teachers commonly referenced teaching strategies that reinforce gender stereotypes. (p. 3)
Shouldice (2013) constructed a profile of one male music education student’s decision to change his major from instrumental to general music. Her research:
Revealed four emergent themes in his decision to teach elementary general music: (a) the influence of undergraduate coursework, (b) the participant’s tendency to be student-centered, (c) the need for broadening students’ musical skills and understanding, and (d) dissatisfaction with the current band culture. (p. 41) Roulston and Mills (2000) drew data from two studies in music education from the male teachers’ perspective. They specifically focused on working with male students and the role of a male music teacher. Roulston and Mills (2000):
Argue that calls for increasing the number of male teachers in feminized areas of schooling need also to be informed by open discussion of the underlying
assumptions about masculinity which teachers themselves bring to their work. (p. 221)
I find that the limited studies on male elementary general music teachers matches the fact that, “Male music teachers in elementary school are even rarer,” (Roulston and Misawa, 2011, p.5).
Male Presence in Education
Gender studies in education are often presented from the perspective of feminist views and the challenges to education. Weaver-Hightower (2003) stated, “This is as it should be, for in every society women as a group relative to men are disadvantaged socially, culturally, politically, and economically” (p. 471). He explored turning the tide from a feminist focus centered on women, to a gender focus on males in education, which he terms the “boy turn” (p. 471). There has been a shift towards focus on males both as students and as teachers over the last decade. Much of this new focus stems from a
perceived need for more male teachers at the elementary level in order to help struggling male students (Johnson, 2010; Mills et al, 2004; Martino, 2008a; Sternod, 2011; Weaver-Hightower, 2003). The “boy crisis” and gender achievement gaps between male and female students have caused alarm in school systems around the world (Piburn, 2010; Roulston & Misawa, 2011), and increasing the number of male teachers seems to be the prevailing stream of thought to make an impact on the issue. Sanatullova-Allison (2010) found that:
Today, of the almost 1.8 million U.S. elementary public school teachers, a scant 9% are men…and most of them are found in the upper grades, where the status is higher and social acceptability greater. In fact, the percentage of male teachers in elementary schools has fallen regularly since1981 – when it reached an all-time high of 18%. (p. 28)
In order to increase the number of men teaching in elementary education, it is important to understand why men avoid entering teaching, and what can be done to draw more men to the field of elementary and early childhood education. According to Cleaver (2010), men avoid teaching due to low salary, the need to adapt to a female-dominated environment, and negative perceptions of males who take an interest in young children. Roulston and Misawa (2011) cite the following as challenges facing male educators: “isolation, suspicions surrounding their motivations to work with children, anxiety surrounding child-touch, and pressure to perform in stereotypically masculine roles” (p. 5). The issue of adapting to a field dominated by females can be a strong deterrent. Perceptions exist that men who choose to teach in elementary education are less
masculine (Cleaver, 2010; Eisenhauer, 2010; Martino, 2008a; Mills et al, 2004; Roulston and Mills, 2000; Werhan, 2010). One teacher mentioned that, “he had been called “Miss” on so many occasions that after some time, he stopped correcting his students and
responded to the female reference” (Cushman, 2010, p. 1214). The topic of masculinity and teaching is an important one, which will be addressed further in this review.
An additional issue preventing more men from teaching is negative perceptions of men in this field. Popular media coverage of teachers who have abused their students has tainted the image of many teachers, especially males (Bradley, 2010). Middleton, an early childhood teacher, mentioned that some parents removed their child from his class
specifically because of his gender (Johnson et al, 2010). The authors summarized the impact of more men in early childhood education while also identifying obstacles in the way:
Increasing the number of men in early childhood education can make a difference in society’s overall attitudes toward gender, but I am unconvinced that more men will join the early childhood community until changes are made in the areas of compensation and status, which would benefit all early childhood teachers. (Johnson et al, 2010, p. 22)
Male Teachers and Student Interactions
When the topic of men in education is researched, focus is often given to how gender impacts student and teacher interactions. Several studies have been conducted on how gender influences the type and number of interactions between students and teachers (Dee, 2005; Hansen and Mulholland, 2005; Jones and Dindia, 2004; Split et al., 2011). Throughout the studies available, many results point to a clear gender bias when considering how teachers interact with students of the opposite sex.
Jones and Dindia (2004) examined thirty-two different studies on teacher initiated interactions. Through their work, it was found that, “male students were
disproportionately more likely than female students to respond to and initiate interaction in male taught classes” (p. 448). When females were teaching a class, no such difference
was found. Based on their research, it was found that gender does appear to influence interactions between students and teachers. When the nature of these interactions was split into positive and negative, it was found that male and female students are praised the same; however, males were given much more negative comments than females. This study illustrated that teacher gender can impact how teachers interact with students. As much as teachers try to be gender neutral, personal gender bias does seem to play a role in how teachers interact with students.
Split et al. (2011) studied how teacher gender impacted student-teacher relationships. They asked the question, “Are boys better off with male and girls with female teachers?” (p. 363) The study concluded:
Both male and female teachers reported more conflictual relationships with boys than with girls, and female teachers also reported less close relationships with boys. Furthermore, female teachers tended to have overall better relationships with their students than male teachers. The current findings do not dispute the need for male teachers in primary education but further challenge the idea that simply increasing the number of male teachers can resolve or attenuate “boys' problems” in schooling. (p. 376)
Dee (2005) also wondered if teacher gender had an impact on the chosen approach to teaching. He analyzed the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 and found that, “a student was perceived as inattentive or disruptive…at least 19-37 percent higher when the teacher is of the opposite gender” (p. 162). These results seem to confirm that gender bias can impact how students and teachers interact. Cleaver (2010) also discussed matching teacher and student demographics saying:
Increasing the number of male teachers isn’t primarily about providing more role models for boys – research on the effects of male teachers on boy’s education isn’t definitive – but about conveying values to students. ‘If you’re working in a community that’s 50 percent male, then your staff should be 50 percent male…it would naturally create diversity in the activities and curriculum.’ This would create an environment in which both genders could succeed. (p. 49)
Hansen and Mulholland (2005) conducted a study of early-career male elementary teachers where they found:
The experiences of the men in our study show how important new ways to envisage caring are for them as they try to relate to children in a range of school-based situations without engaging in behaviors that are culturally “suspect” for men. We see care that involves building professional relationships with children as most important for all teachers and something with which both male and female teachers should be concerned and for which both should be rewarded. (p. 130)
Male teachers cannot be expected to overturn all issues of underachieving males solely because of gender. Men can be good role models for males who have little or no male influence in their lives; however, teachers should not be expected to solve all societal issues just because they are good role models. A balanced approach of positive
interactions and strong leadership can improve the entire school environment, regardless of gender.
Negative Factors Impacting Male Teachers
Increasing the number of males in early education is a noble task; however, there are strong stereotypical forces that influence a man’s decision to teach elementary school. The primary negative force is a perceived lack of masculinity for all men who teach young children, and this is especially compounded for elementary music teachers. One teacher, Brian, relates his experiences with principals who interviewed him for an open position. On several occasions, he was asked about his marital status:
I was asked some questions that were not only illegal, but inappropriate...finally I cornered one of the principals, ‘Why are these people always wanting to know if I’m married?’ they said, ‘Well you’re a male music teacher applying for an elementary school job, you must be gay’. (Roulston & Misawa, 2011, p. 15)
The issue of masculinity and male teachers is an area that has been explored by several researchers. Some have focused on the public perception of males in education (Benton, DeCorse and Vogtle, 1997; Bidenkapp and Goerring, 1971; Bradley, 2010; Mills et al, 2004; Shouldice, 2013), and others have focused on what male teachers are doing to combat this viewpoint, both positively and negatively (Cushman, 2010; Hansen and Mulholland, 2005; Hébert, 2000; Martino, 2008a; Martino 2008b).
One of the largest male teacher reform programs in the world is centered in Australia. The Queensland Male Teachers’ Strategy (Mills et al, 2004) outlines a plan to increase the number of males applying for education positions, increase job satisfaction, and improve working conditions. Mills makes the argument that this strategy is actually harming education. By laying the framework for the above changes, this plan targets educational environments as strictly feminized and in need of a masculine makeover. The
Teachers’ Strategy says that changes need to be made in salary and school climate in
order for schools to be more male friendly. Some see the feminine stereotype of elementary education as a means for keeping men out of elementary schools. Social influences and ideas often label men who enter elementary education as, “gay,
‘effeminate’ or a pedophile” (Mills et al, 2004, p. 360). By falling into the trap of this thinking, many men are discouraged from pursuing a career in education. This viewpoint is misguided since women have fought hard to gain the current status they have in education and other professional fields (Howe, 2009). The best male teachers avoid the stereotypical roles of a strong disciplinarian, coach, or overtly masculine teacher:
The current calls for more male teachers do nothing to support these men. Instead, the essentialist assumptions about male teachers implicit in the Queensland policy
and in similar arguments being proffered elsewhere will work to further
marginalize men who perform non-traditional masculinities. (Mills et al, 2004, p. 366)
Cushman (2005) interviewed seventeen male primary teachers to gain a broader perspective of each man’s professional experiences. His research concluded:
For the men who do teach, their love of children, their commitment to the
profession and their positivism in the face of endless scrutiny and challenges can only categorize them as a unique and remarkable group. But until the barriers and attitudes that underlie these challenges are addressed and alleviated, it is unlikely that the proportion of males to females in the staffroom photograph will change. (p. 239-240)
By avoiding stereotypes and working to project a unique personality as a teacher, many men are working to improve the education of both boys and girls (Martino, 2008b).
Female Dominated Areas of Education
When men combat broad social perceptions of certain professional fields, they often have to contend with the reality that women have traditionally dominated certain professions. While this does not mean that men cannot perform well in these jobs, it does present the idea that these men lack certain masculine traits. Two subject areas in
education that have a strong feminine presence are Family and Consumer Science (formerly Home Economics) and Elementary Music.
Werhan (2010) explores male Family and Consumer Science teachers finding that, “family influences are important for men pursuing gendered careers” (p. 29). The two men interviewed acknowledged that there are prejudices that exist from colleagues and students when non-traditional gendered teachers are employed in this subject area, and that gender bias presented obstacles to getting hired. Both men often,
“overcompensated by intentionally attempting to appear more ‘masculine’” to combat perceptions of homosexuality (Werhan, 2010, p. 30). Werhan concluded that increasing
the number of male teachers in gendered subjects would ultimately benefit all students, not only as role models, but because they can offer a new perspective on traditionally gendered professions.
The other traditionally female-dominated education field is elementary music education. Men who choose to teach at this level are often confronted with a dominant feminine environment where they feel a need to display traditional masculine roles of strength and power. Roulston and Misawa (2011) stated:
Male music teachers’ accounts of their work…suggest that for men who teach music - especially in elementary schools - demands to conform to hegemonic notions of masculinity are amplified, since the subject area of music occupies a subordinate role within school curriculums and historically has feminine associations. (p. 5)
Roulston and Misawa (2011) interviewed one male and five female music teachers about the teachers’ descriptions of gender in relation to elementary music education. They found:
(1) Teachers’ conceptualization of the relevance of gender in thinking about music teaching varied considerably; (2) the role of the male teacher in the
elementary school was described in significantly different ways to that of the role of female teacher; and (3) teachers commonly referenced teaching strategies that reinforce gender stereotypes. (p. 3)
Included in their study, Roulston and Misawa interviewed a middle school choral director named Brian. He taught elementary school for six years before moving to the secondary level. He cited the primary reason for making the change in his career path as:
A partial response to the offences from others who questioned both his sexual orientation, and his right to teach in the elementary school. In Brian’s description, the ‘average’ male elementary music teacher takes on the role either because he is either incompetent, or using the elementary position as a springboard to
To combat negative perceptions, some male music teachers go to extremes in order to project masculinity. Roulston and Mills (2000) presented two teachers who fit this profile. Tony is a long-haired, elementary music teacher who promotes his
masculinity by trying to be the teacher every student likes because he is edgy and daring. His method of choice is including popular songs that may have questionable lyrics in his teaching repertoire. He also tries to be confrontational with other teachers, parents, and administrators. The other teacher, Andy, takes on an athletic coach mentality. He relates a story from his teaching of having a group of boys who did not want to sing, so he turned it into a competition to sing as well as the girls. He played up the competitive side and his own skills as a, “basketball and floor hockey coach” (p. 232). He also tries to combat the stigma with boys about singing. He turned singing into the cool thing that every guy did in order to be a strong male. Both men promoted themselves as being especially talented with boys who have disciplinary problems. Roulston and Mills (2000) warned that the approaches of both teachers actually cause harm to music education. By going to extremes to radiate masculinity, these teachers, “devalue behavior and characteristics which have become associated with femininity” (p. 234); therefore, confirming various stereotypes against male involvement in music education.
Fortunately, not all perspectives on males in music education are negative. McGregor and Mills (2006) offer an approach to help reach both male and female music students. They suggested remixing the curriculum to incorporate subjects that appeal to all students. This idea sounds very similar to differentiation, with the difference of abolishing gender stereotypes in music to reach all students. The authors also suggested that students and teachers should, “be engaged in a critical dialogue…as they deconstruct
the music curriculum in partnerships of meaning-making” (p. 227). Students and teachers should embrace all subject areas relating to music, and explore how gender has both positively and negatively impacted the way music is taught and created.
Issues in Music Education
Few studies focus specifically on elementary male music educators. Roulston and Mills (2000) drew data from two studies in music education on the male teachers’
perspective. They specifically focused on working with male students and the role of a male music teacher. Roulston and Mills (2000):
Argue that calls for increasing the number of male teachers in feminized areas of schooling need also to be informed by open discussion of the underlying
assumptions about masculinity which teachers themselves bring to their work. (p. 221)
I found that the limited studies on male elementary general music teachers supported the idea that, “Male music teachers in elementary school are even rarer,” (Roulston and Misawa, 2011, p.5). Shouldice’s (2013) profile of the decision to change from instrumental to general music by one male music education student revealed student-teacher relationship as a major consideration as well as dissatisfaction with the culture in many instrumental music programs.
Musical Issues Impacting Male Teachers
Hellman (2008) conducted a survey of collegiate music education students, and found that, “Males tend to choose high school teaching at a much higher rate than that of females (68.2% versus 30.6%) and elementary teaching at a much lower rate than that of females (4.5% versus 32.9%)” (p. 67).
A final issue then, facing men in elementary music education is their singing range. Price et al. (1994) studied whether the male timbre, falsetto, or sine wave models
provide the best method for teaching young singers how to match pitch. A man’s voice is normally at least an octave lower than the children he teaches. This presents many
problems with children’s perception of pitch-matching. When students try to match pitch with an adult male voice, they often are too low (Price et al, 1994), resulting in children trying to sing out of their normal register. One approach some males use to overcome pitch discrepancies is the use of an instrument such as a recorder, piano, or glockenspiel to give pitches. Unfortunately, this method does not help students develop the nuances of singing. Other males use a falsetto voice to match pitch with their students.
Unfortunately, relying on falsetto does not give a healthy vocal model. Phillips (1992) shares, “The falsetto voice is a ‘false’ voice, in that it is a product of strained vocal technique in which the larynx rises and cuts out the laryngeal resonator, resulting in a weak and unsupported sound (p. 50). While there is some evidence that falsetto is not a strong vocal model, more research needs to be done in order to find the best means of conveying pitch and proper vocal technique from a male teacher to elementary students (Green, 1990).
CHAPTER TWO
This study was centered in the pedagogical practice and decision-making of male elementary general music teachers as they addressed the musicianship of young children. Capturing these perspectives across a variety of males who are at disparate points in their careers provided a unique lens into the issues of this specific facet of education.
Methodology
In this study, five male music teachers from southeastern Wisconsin were interviewed about their experiences, successes, and challenges as elementary general music teachers. These teachers included men at the beginning, middle, and end of their professional careers. These men were interviewed in person over the course of three months (August – October, 2014) using a series of 18 structured questions (Fontana & Frey, 1994) (See Appendix A). Each conversation was recorded using a digital audio recorder, and the audio transcribed for analysis. The complete transcripts can be found in Appendix C. I then used my personal experiences as an elementary general music teacher to answer the interview questions. The resulting interview responses were compared for common themes.
Study Participants
The five men interviewed for this study range in teaching experience from three to thirty years. Three of them are currently teaching, and two have retired. These men were chosen for this study based on their geographical location and availability for interview. Initially, seven male elementary general music teachers were identified and contacted via email. Six teachers responded to the initial recruitment and five agreed to be interviewed. Pseudonyms have been used for all participants.
Brandon Johnson is currently teaching elementary general music in a district of
7,000 students with five elementary schools. He has been teaching music for five years. Mr. Johnson started teaching in a suburban elementary school as a long-term substitute for one semester. The next three years were spent teaching part time elementary and middle school vocal and general music. He was hired into his current position beginning in the 2013 – 2014 school year. The 2014 – 2015 school year will mark the first time he has taught in the same place for two consecutive years. His student teaching experience included both elementary general music and band at the middle and high school levels. Aside from his student teaching experience and one middle school general music class, the majority of his experience has been at the elementary level. He did inform me that this year he would be teaching a section of seventh and eighth grade band in addition to his elementary building.
Matthew Long has taught for the past eighteen years, and is currently in the
seventh year at his current position. He has taught elementary music for his entire career, but has also had classes at the middle and high school levels. He is currently in a
suburban district with approximately 3,000 students and three elementary schools. In some of his previous positions, Mr. Long has taught music for all students from kindergarten to twelfth grade.
Richard Smith retired from teaching after being in his last position for
twenty-two years. He began his career teaching in a parochial school with students in
kindergarten through eighth grade. The majority of his career was teaching elementary music in a district with a current enrollment of over 78,000 students. There are a total of one hundred sixty schools in this district.
Thomas Kastner retired from teaching in June, 2014. He has been a music
educator for nearly thirty years. He began teaching as a freelance musician directing adult and children’s choirs, and continues to direct community choral groups to this day. After a few years as a freelance director, he taught two years at the elementary level and two years of high school choir for a parochial school system. Over the past twenty-six years, Mr. Kastner taught in a suburban district with a current enrollment of 9,700 students and eleven elementary schools. He taught only elementary general music for twenty-one years before moving primarily to the high school level. Over the last five years, he taught one year of intermediate and high school choir, one year of elementary and high school choir, and the past three years as the choral director for two high schools.
William Brown is currently in his thirtieth year of teaching elementary general
music. He has been in his current position for the past twenty years. This suburban district has approximately 2,000 students and two elementary schools. Mr. Brown’s first position was as a long-term substitute for an elementary music teacher on maternity leave. Following his time as a substitute, he taught in that district for ten years before moving to his current position. While he has taught elementary general music for his entire career, Mr. Brown has occasionally directed the pit orchestra for high school theater productions, but has never formally taught beyond elementary school.
I am currently in my eleventh year of teaching. I teach in the same district as Mr. Kastner, and have taught primarily elementary general music for the past eight years. I currently teach standard and special education elementary music after being in a different elementary school for the past seven years. While in this district, I have also taught three years of general and choral music at one of our intermediate schools. Prior to my current
district, I was in two districts where I primarily taught middle school vocal and general music.
Profile of School Teaching Staff
With men being very rare at the elementary level, I wanted to consider how many additional males were on staff with each of these teachers. Johnson is one of four male teachers, Long is one of five, and Brown is one of eight. Kastner and Smith were one of four and one of five men in their last buildings respectively. In my previous building, I was one of three men on staff, and currently I am one of six male teachers.
When considering the existing research, some of the male elementary teachers felt like outsiders in their buildings. This, then, was also an area of consideration in
identifying elements of their teaching lives which I will touch on very briefly here. Overwhelmingly, each teacher felt valued as a member of their school staff. Sometimes Smith and Kastner did not feel like they were a member of the staff in buildings where they travelled, but as Kastner said, “that's not the fault of that staff; it's just your
timeline.” In my own experience, I have also felt included on my staff. The other teachers often coordinated with me to support their curricula and showed genuine concern about my welfare. When I travelled, I felt that staff members would go out of their way to make me feel welcome, even if I was only in the building for a few hours a week.
CHAPTER THREE
Becoming an Elementary Music Teacher
My path to teaching elementary music happened by accident after accepting a new position in my third year of teaching. I initially saw myself at the middle or high school level as a choral director, and I had no teaching experience with elementary students prior to my first elementary position. The participants were asked about their personal history in choosing to teach in an elementary setting.
Initial Career Aspirations
When applying for their first jobs, each teacher had a different perspective on where they saw themselves teaching. When asked whether elementary general music was his first choice, Johnson said:
Elementary was…definitely my first choice. When I student taught, I kind of went into it thinking I was going to be a band teacher. That was where a lot of my background was, but (when) I student taught at (the elementary level), I was kind of blown away of all the possibilities of what could be done, and the variety involved. It was a lot different than the cutesy rainbows, kittens…that kind of mentality that I think I sort of had going into it. I didn't have a great elementary music experience myself growing up...my experience was impacted by that, so when I started looking for jobs, I really focused in on elementary general music. Smith also saw himself teaching elementary from the beginning. He said, “Elementary was my first choice; I wanted to get to them right away.”
While two of the five men initially saw themselves teaching elementary general music, the others, including myself, felt that high school was where they were headed. When Long graduated college, he said:
Initially…I saw myself at the high school level. Then I was like, man, I love junior high, and then I was like, you know I love elementary. So, I just started at the top and then moved my way down.
I think elementary became more interesting to me the more I worked with kids choirs…I was looking for simply a position of some sort…whether it was high school or elementary…We were expecting our first child that coming fall, so anything full time teaching was a plus at that point.
Brown wanted to be, “a high school teacher. Absolutely! I was going to be that cool, hip choir director.” For these men, elementary school was not initially seen as a viable option for teaching. They felt that teaching high school music was the best position for them. This sentiment is supported in research by Shouldice (2013):
Many individuals decide to become music teachers by the time they leave high school…Specifically, high school ensemble directors tend to be the strongest and most pervasive influence on young people’s decisions to become music teachers, so strong that many express a desire to be like their high school directors. (p. 42)
Becoming a Music Educator
To gain a broader perspective on what led these men to teach elementary general music, they were asked about what influenced their decision to become a music teacher. Each of them had different individual experiences that led them to a career in music education, but there are many similarities as well. Long was led to music education through many positive experiences as a music student, saying:
Well I had some awesome musical experiences as a child with some
excellent…teachers….It’s something I’ve always wanted to do…ever since I was young…It’s what I enjoy the most. It’s what I’m the best at, and so for me it was a no brainer.
Smith was influenced by his experiences as a music student. He said, “Well, I’ve played accordion for my whole life, and I thought that I could pass on…my knowledge that I learned through the accordion, and I like working with children.” Kastner is also heavily influenced by his past experiences. He said, “It goes back somewhere in the late middle school, early high school days…I not only enjoyed what I was doing, but it was
something that I thought I could be good at…in the future, which was to work with choirs mostly, but that's where it started.”
Johnson was influenced by the creative thinking that students provide, and the amount of risk they take, saying:
I like working with the (elementary) age group. They're very much risk takers. They say what they think. They're very blunt. Sometimes overly blunt, but I think that is a very refreshing thing for me...I tend to be very…thoughtful of what people think about what I'm doing, and that…impacts the choices I make. Whereas, (the students) a lot of times will just go for it, and I think that's
something I enjoy about teaching, especially the younger students….I think that through music they learn that there's not one right answer or one right
solution…That's something that’s been very…inspiring for me as a teacher, and finding more ways to get to that kind of learning in the classroom has motivated me to want to continue to…train and learn how to do it better in different ways. Johnson’s approach to teaching is inspired by how he sees students as an equal
participant in the classroom. His students are challenged by the material being taught, but they also challenge him to reach a higher level of thinking and creativity through his teaching.
Brown’s pathway toward becoming a music educator came as he prepared for a singing competition. In a celebratory phone call with his mother, he realized that teaching students helped improve their skills as singers, performers, musicians, and whole human beings. He said:
Initially, I was double major in music and theater...I was in a NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) competition...I said, "Mom, I'm…at this thing called the NATS,” and she said, “What's that?” “Well it's this voice competition, and…I'm in the finals!” (She said), “Well that's great. Do you know…that when you were in kindergarten…they wanted to hold you back?” And I was like, wait a second, I'm in this vocal competition in college and you're telling me they wanted to hold me back in kindergarten. Why are you telling me that now? When I was four or five years old, I loved to sing, and I was passionate about just singing…(but) I was not a good singer. They thought my auditory skills were so messed up that keeping me in one more year probably would be a good thing to do. I was the kid that the teacher said mouth the words, this isn't your
gift…Maybe (someone) said early on, because you couldn't match pitch you couldn't sing, so they just decided I'm not a singer, therefore I'm not going to learn.
Brown’s experience became part of his ongoing teaching philosophy:
And on the phone that day…I realized that…music is for everyone. Learning to sing is a learned skill, and you're not born to do it. Some have gifts for it, but you can be taught how to do that…If someone would have told me beforehand that this (music) isn't your thing, I never would have become a singer. Music wouldn't have been my thing. So…a couple weeks after that, I entered the school of
education and became a music education major…I was going to be that teacher that helped those kids, whether it was in elementary or high school. This was a skill and it can be taught.
Brown was told very early on that his voice was not very strong. Instead of taking the criticism of those around him, he realized that singing was a skill that takes practice and improves with time and experience.
My own path toward music education was paved with several positive, and one negative, musical experience. I had many great music teachers in school and church, and each of them fostered my love of music. My parents were very supportive as well. They often drove me to various children’s choir rehearsals and performances, and always were proud of my accomplishments in music. Unfortunately, I had a very poor music
experience in middle school with a revolving door of long-term substitutes, and a director who was absent more than she was in school. I saw many students drop out of music during those two years, and I vowed to become a music educator in order to keep students involved in music. These poor experiences were followed by many positive opportunities in high school and college, and where I saw the personal growth that could come from a strong education in music.
Looking at what drew each man into this profession, I find that a solid music education from elementary through college was one of the strongest factors in guiding the
development into music educators. With parents and educators nurturing their musical growth, these individuals were able to find and develop the skills necessary to become experienced musicians. Knowing that great music educators helped develop this love of music, each expressed passion for giving that love of music to a new generation of students.
Becoming an Elementary Music Educator
After hearing how each of these men became music educators, it is important to know what ultimately led them to teaching elementary general music. Were they drawn to the elementary level by choice, or was it part of the job for which they were hired? Kastner ended up teaching elementary through a district assignment, saying:
I want to say we went through a process with personnel or human resources and the music coordinator…with the idea that a general or high school position would be open, and it wasn't specifically for a school or a job. The assignment came shortly thereafter.
Brown was initially assigned to teach elementary, but quickly found that he loved the age level, and had strong skills, saying:
It was the first job I got...my (college) supervisor, who was a male elementary teacher too said, “You know, there's too many guys not choosing this field because…this is elementary, this isn't cool, and you know, it's not conducive for their voice type for instance. You should really consider doing this.” I remember my cooperating teacher saying oh yes, and I think not really truly believing it…and so then the position I got…was a long-term pregnancy leave at the time…I had a very outgoing personality, and…having had the great undergrad experience, (I) had a lot to learn about music education being more than your vivacious personality and good looks. None of which I have anymore (laughs). While Brown did not initially want to enter elementary music education, he had many people in his life that recognized his gifts, and pushed him toward this level. It took him several years to finally feel comfortable teaching elementary students, but he was surrounded by many great educators and mentors.
In my own experience, I was not initially drawn to teaching elementary students. It was only after being hired in what was initially supposed to be a middle school general music position, that I found out two kindergarten and two elementary cognitively
disabled classes were being added to my class load. At first, I was not sure what to do as I had no training in elementary music outside of my methods class in college. Fortunately, I had several very helpful colleagues who took me under their wing to share professional knowledge and experience. After teaching a year in that position, I found a strong passion for teaching these students the foundational skills of music. When looking for a new position, I intentionally applied for elementary positions and was hired into my current district.
Johnson, Long, and Smith were all drawn to the elementary level because of the students. Johnson loves that the students are just starting their educational career and are eager to learn. He chose to teach elementary general music because of the:
Developmental level of the kids, (and) their attitude towards learning. But also…I enjoy…that you don't just get the students who are choosing music. You get a really broad spectrum of student, and even if they don't end up as professional musicians, even if they don't go that route, I think...they can be very positively impacted by music.
Long fell in love with the elementary age group after teaching in several K-12 schools, saying:
I really fell in love with this age group, and realizing that this is…the
important…age…If these kids aren’t turned on to music now, then when they’re competing in middle school and high school with all these other things and all these other factors… it makes it much more difficult…I am very passionate about music and music education, and I want to make sure that these kids have a solid foundation and a positive elementary experience…to build from.
Smith was drawn to elementary students through his experience teaching accordion, saying:
If I was going to teach music, I was going to teach elementary children
because they were the most influential of all the children to learn…I decided to go with general music, as it's called now. It was vocal at that time…(Also) my
accordion students were younger children. I enjoyed teaching them.
Several common themes emerged when considering how each of these men became elementary general music teachers. A majority of these teachers (four of six including myself) did not initially see themselves teaching elementary music. Most of the men were initially drawn to a secondary ensemble position. However, each of these teachers was influenced to consider teaching music by a music teacher, professor, cooperating teacher, parent, or personal musical experience. When looking at how each teacher finally ended up teaching elementary music, it is evenly split between being assigned an elementary school through a hired position and being drawn through
experiences with students. Ultimately, each teacher has decided to remain in elementary general music because of a variety of successful experiences, which will be explored in the following section.
CHAPTER FOUR
Professional SuccessesWith a good understanding of what drew these men to the profession of
elementary music education, it is important to know what kind of professional successes these teachers have had and how their gender may have impacted those experiences.
Male Role Models
Each teacher overwhelmingly felt that being a male role model has been a positive aspect to their career, which has provided unique opportunities. Smith had a simple answer: “In elementary school, most of the teachers were female, and therefore didn't have a male influence on it.” Long agreed that male role models were rare in elementary school. He said:
Elementary in general has very few male role models, which I feel kids need. That's one of the reasons when I came here, one of my big first pushes was to start a dads club…These kids need male role models, and they need to know that their dad is just as involved and just as invested in them as their mom.
So I think that being a male role model is…huge. As a matter of fact, just this past year I had a kid (say), “I wish you were my dad.” It hits you, but it puts it in perspective, like, well at least I'm glad I'm here.
Long created a Dad’s club in response to the PTA, which he felt was dominated by mothers. The club even helped to build shelving for the music room. Kastner felt that his position allowed him to be a role model for students. He said:
The first building I taught at…was, at the time I was there, the most transient building in terms of students going K-6…and most of the rest of the staff was female. We actually had the only all-male music staff in the entire district for quite a while. I think (my gender) made a difference for the kids because they didn't really have a lot of father figures…So for a lot of the kids, I think we kind of gave the sense of that other half of the parent set that maybe was missing in their lives…I got a lot of good feedback from the kids over the years, so I'm assuming the parenting aspect of it, or the "Father figure”…was probably the most (influential) for the kids.
Brown’s experience is rooted in being a male role model as well. In his thirty years of teaching, he felt that the rarity of being a male elementary general music teacher was actually one of the strongest assets. He said:
I don't want to sound sexist, but I just think for the reasons that we are so unique, I think we can bring a different dynamic…I especially think…not just boys, but girls need male role models, and they're missing that, and especially in music education…For boys, music, it can be a cool thing, and on so many different levels, and for girls too…that maybe don't have a father figure in their life, or a stable father figure in their life. It really brings a whole new dynamic to the classroom experience, and I teach in…a suburban school, but we have a very diverse population, and I think we sell short about what kind of impact we can have as male role models for those kids.
Brown alluded to the idea that boys are more likely to think singing is acceptable if a male is teaching. Johnson also felt that boys respond more to a male singer. He said:
I think that with young boys, for instance, being a guy sometimes gives me an advantage. Because if I'm doing it, they may feel that they won't be criticized by other kids for joining in, because I'm a guy. And so I think that I have that sort of relationship with them that a female teacher wouldn't. It wouldn't be something necessarily 'girly' to do, to sing, or whatever. So I think that has helped.
Kastner also felt that being a male helped encourage boys to sing. He said, “It’s helped because the boys didn't feel like it was such a strange thing to want to sing or to want to play an instrument or to just want to do things musical.”
The teachers overwhelmingly felt that being a male elementary teacher provided an opportunity to be a positive male role model for students who need more men as mentors. Also, three of the teachers felt being male helped to encourage boys to enjoy making music. Often music can be perceived as being a feminine field (Roulston and Mills, 2000; Roulston and Misawa, 2011; Werhan, 2010), but a male music educator can help positively influence boys to sing. The sentiments of these teachers align well with my own experiences. While I don’t feel that every male student has begun to love singing
just because I am male, I do feel that being male shows that loving to sing is acceptable for boys. With older male students, I am also able to relate to them as they begin to experience the voice change. I can offer advice and personal experience that females just cannot.
Other Musical Outlets
Since being a male is seen as being a positive aspect in teaching elementary music, it seemed important to explore what kind of successes these men have had in their careers, and whether their success was related to their gender. Long felt his success comes from the large variety of extra opportunities he provides for his students. He started a mallet club, drum club, and honors choir, but he also mentioned that seeing students grow musically over the six years from kindergarten to fifth grade is so rewarding. Smith found success in, “getting the children to enjoy music, and to learn about the aspects of music.” He also felt accomplishment in his performances, including a biennial music festival that included music students from across the district in a large performance. Kastner felt that his success could be found in the musical growth of his students and putting on quality performances, saying:
As much as it was important for the kids to learn things, it wouldn't have worked if it hadn't been a good set of performances that parents not only enjoyed, but was presumably a step up or beyond what they had experienced before in the previous settings…I am always happy to hear from kids that come back…and tell me now how much fun they had or how much they remember doing certain things that we did in class, or now they like to go out and perform and it's partly due to the fact that we made them comfortable as performers back then.
Johnson found success in his performances and providing new opportunities for the students. He said:
On the recorder, they did some composition with that, and then there were a few other composition activities that I did throughout the year that I wasn't really
sure…how they were going to turn out, but the kids kind of ran with it and ended up surprising me with what they did…I had changed up the way concerts are done at the school. Which at first I got a lot of emails about why are you doing this, and not a good start, but I got a lot of very positive feedback from the community after the concerts. I felt like I had done a good job, and I was being accepted, and they kind of understood what I was adding rather than what I was taking away perhaps. So I thought that was a success and that gave me confidence then to do more of my own thing I guess.
Johnson initially faced criticism about some of his changes to the curriculum from parents and community members, but gained confidence to keep pushing for more significant student experiences that help them to become better musicians, which
ultimately paid off in positive responses from the very people who initially criticized his changes.
Brown felt most successful in the lives of his students and the opportunities he was able to provide. On two separate occasions, his choir was selected to perform for an Orchestra fundraiser in downtown Milwaukee. His students were able to meet several prominent musicians and receive recognition from many community members. One event stood out above others as a reason why he felt successful in his position. His choir was performing for a new symphony director when the students looked into the hotel ballroom and saw a chocolate fountain:
One of these inner-city kids was, "That's a chocolate fountain man!" I chose twenty kids to perform. Ten kids who were exceptionally good musicians, and ten kids who just needed this experience. He was one of the ten that needed that experience. And he turns to this mom and he goes, you know what, I think this is the best night of my life! There have been a lot of those ‘pinch me’ moments like that.
My own personal experiences of success have often come in the comments of parents and students. When students said they loved performing in the concert, or they put a handwritten card in my mailbox, I feel that I was successful as a music teacher. Hearing students of all ages exclaim that they love music, or that they can’t believe music
class is over because we had so much fun, tells me that everything I put into my teaching is worth it to help students enjoy growing as musicians.
When considering the various experiences and anecdotes of these men, the personal and professional successes are not rooted in their gender. While these teachers are role models for students who need positive males in their lives, success comes from the education each of these teachers is able to provide. Whether they are providing high-quality lessons, or experiences of a lifetime, these men are doing what all music teachers do every day—demonstrate a strong passion for music that is shared and taught to students at every opportunity.
Professional Challenges
After hearing about the many successes these men have had in their teaching careers, understanding what kind of challenges they have faced was also an important issue. Considering the existing research about male teachers, it was reasonable to assume that many of the teachers’ challenges would be related to gender (Benton DeCorse and Vogtle, 1997; Bidenkapp and Goerring, 1971; Bradley, 2010; Johnson et al, 2010; Mills et al, 2004; Roulston and Misawa, 2011; Shouldice, 2013). This line of investigation would confirm if my initial assumptions were correct, or if the professional challenges of these men were similar to those faced by all music educators regardless of gender.
In my own personal career, I have had many different challenges including classroom management, adapting to changing national, state, and district mandates, figuring how to teach elementary students with minimal experience, trying to teach students to sing despite the octave displacement, and adapting to teaching music travelling room to room on a cart. The teachers I interviewed had many similar
challenges to my own, including the difference in singing voice. In this section, I will address those challenges beyond singing which were raised. Teaching students to sing will be addressed in Chapter Five.
As any elementary music teacher can attest, the daily teaching schedule can be a huge challenge. According to Wisconsin state law:
Music instruction shall be provided in accordance with a written comprehensive music curriculum including developmental experiences involving singing, playing instruments, listening, movement, creative expression, and music reading. Music instruction shall be provided for all pupils in grades kindergarten through 6 and shall be performed by or under the direction of a licensed music teacher. (Wisconsin School District Standards)
All of the men I interviewed had the same basic schedule of two thirty minute classes per week for every student. With the large number of students in each building, the timing of most elementary music classes are scheduled back-to-back with little or no time between each class. Johnson said:
The schedule is pretty grueling. There (are) really not breaks during the day. It's pretty much go, go, go, and it's all different grade levels, you know, you're always doing different things with different instruments…As one class is leaving and the next one is coming in the door, it's like, ok, switch gears, and you've got to start right away or they're (going to) start themselves, which usually isn't good. Long mentioned the schedule as one of his challenges as well. He was fortunate that currently he has a, “rotating schedule; with two back-to-backs and then a little break. So it works really, really well to swap out those instruments.” The schedule can be a
challenge to make sure the classroom is ready for the next group of students. Depending on how grade levels are scheduled, it can also be challenging to transition mentally and physically from a kindergarten class to fifth grade.
Another challenge that all elementary music teachers face is the limited amount of instructional time with students. In Wisconsin, most schools meet for 180 days each year.
That divides into thirty-six weeks of instruction. With the current state recommendation of an hour of music instruction per week, that allows for a maximum of thirty-six hours of music instruction per year. Long said, “That's not a whole lot of time. You have to make an impact. You have to get them engaged, highly engaged, in just that short amount of time.”
Kastner found his challenges in developing lessons and getting to know the district’s curriculum. He said:
A lot of it was getting started that first year. I had to familiarize myself with the sets of materials that were available in the building and really come up with effective lesson plans and knowing where the kids had been. The person that was there before me…was mostly an instrumentalist who was finishing off his career by teaching elementary music…So I was trying to figure out to not just get by but get the kid's skill levels brought up and try to fill in gaps of what they were missing…It was (challenging) trying to come up with ideas to teach them things that maybe they hadn't encountered before, or have them be interested in
something they weren't exposed to before.
Many of Kastner’s students were not exposed to Classical music, or any music besides what was on the popular radio stations. He felt challenged to expose students to music outside of what they hear on the radio. He wanted his students to know that there are many different styles, and he works to broaden the musical tastes of his students.
With Brown’s thirty years of teaching experience, he has had many challenges, and has seen some of them return cyclically. While being in a financially strong district, issues with money periodically come around to offer challenges to his program. He said:
At one point they were thinking of having me travel to the other elementary school and cutting that position in half, and having music meet for K through third grade…twice a week for a half hour. When I started, kids came to music on a six day rotating schedule. They came three times every six for a half hour. So on one week, they'd have 90 minutes of music, and the next week it would be an hour every other week.
Brown felt challenged by an administrator who wanted to combine classes when enrollment was going down in the district. It was proposed that in grades Kindergarten through third grade, music classes would be twice a week for half an hour. Grades four through six would meet once a week for thirty minutes, and for the second half hour each week, all of the classes in grades four through six would combine in one room for a class called choir. Brown elaborated:
So it would be compulsory, and I was trying to argue…when you come to my classroom, yeah we do singing, but we play, we move, we listen, we do this, and I said I've had kids who are really good singers, but singing isn't their cup of tea. But they sing and they do it for me because they know they're going to play, they're going to listen, they're going to compose, they're going to do this on computers. But when we make singing compulsory, not a choice, that's all there is, there isn't any other choice, we're going to make it a punishment….you can't do that to these kids. I teach the whole child.
Brown also found that the current state of education as a whole, and the myriad of different programs and expectations from the district, state, and national level, was causing great stress on teachers. He said, “The motives are pure: Common core, RtI, Teachscape, SLOs, PGPs…but we're under a tremendous amount of program fatigue.” Brown felt that teachers are not well prepared by undergraduate institutions to teach music. When he left college, he felt that he was well prepared to begin teaching. The worst grade he received in college was in his methods class. Brown explained:
I had an outstanding teacher, she poured herself into this. And the last day of her class she said, “So you guys think you're ready for student teaching?” We're all like “YES!” And she just laughed, and she said the best of you…are barely ready for your first day of student teaching, and when you finish your student teaching experience, the best of you are barely ready for your first day of teaching, and she was right!
Brown felt that it takes a minimum of three years in the same position to find your own teaching personality. From personal experience, I worked in three different districts during my first four years of teaching, and each time I changed districts or schools, it
often took a year or two in order to develop my own teaching personality. I do feel, however, that the longer I teach, the amount of time it takes to feel comfortable in a new place decreases with experience.
When I asked Smith about the kinds of challenges he faced during his career, I was amazed at the type of issues he faced and the length of time they lasted. For twenty-two years, Smith had to teach music from a cart going room to room; he calls it, “Music à la cart.” He was limited in the type of lessons and curriculum he could bring to the
students because going into general education classrooms, there is not very much room, and the classroom teachers are not always willing to accommodate the needs of another teacher coming into their space. He said, “Because going room to room, you're…on their turf….So, you're always in the teacher's environment so it always took time and some teachers they would butt in…and I just told them no, I want to have control of my class.” I have had a similar experience teaching music on a cart. For the last two years, I did not have a music classroom, and I had to adapt my curriculum in order to continue high quality music instruction, but also maintain the ability to quickly move from room to room given the continued scheduling of classes back-to-back.
The most surprising and disappointing challenge facing Smith occurred during his last nine years of teaching. In Wisconsin, student attendance on the third Friday in
September determines how much state funding a school will receive. During his final nine years, Smith found himself starting the school year in one building or position, yet after the third Friday count, being moved to a different one. He elaborated:
Another drawback was moving on to a different (school) every September…If there weren't enough students or there were too many, then you would have to go to a different school or have two schools. At the end I had three schools, with no room. Every other Friday I also substituted, not in music either.
When I first crafted the question about professional challenges, I initially thought that some of the issues faced by these men would be gender related. Existing research initially led me to believe that a major factor facing these men would be gender
stereotypes of male elementary teachers (Bradley, 2010; Cleaver, 2010; Cushman, 2010; Eisenhauer, 2010; Johnson et al, 2010; Mills et al, 2004; Martino, 2008a; Martino, 2008b; Roulston and Mills, 2000; Werhan, 2010). I was surprised to find out that only one issue was related to gender, and that was the octave difference in singing voices between males and their students.
Solutions to Professional Challenges and the Impact of Gender
Considering the many challenges facing teachers, it is important to know how teachers have adapted to or solved these issues. Solutions these men have found for their professional challenges and whether they felt that being male had any impact on their successes and challenges was the next area to explore.
For Johnson, being organized is essential to his success. He has worked hard to be in control of his lessons and know how to accomplish each task. He said, “elementary students are very high energy, obviously, and so one of the challenges for me is I'm very laid back naturally, and so something that I had to adjust right away, when I started student teaching even, was just being the leader of the group.” He felt that adjusting his own demeanor to be more outgoing has helped force him to be ready for, “what's coming next, and knowing how you're going to transition there…So there's just a lot going on that you have to kind of make flow.” When asked whether he felt his gender impacted his successes or challenges, Johnson said:
You know I don't know.Being a guy, (I) have a different demeanor than maybe a woman teacher…I guess you might think of a female teacher having a kind of motherly demeanor, not that all of them would, but that kind of caring aspect…it just comes off differently with me…I think that part of being successful in that is just being who I am, rather than trying to be like so-and-so other teacher, because I think that students would kind of tell that that was not who I am, and probably would not respect that.
Long’s solutions to his challenges were very similar to Johnson. He said that, “Time management is key. To get it all in…it’s like multiple things happening at the same time…it’s this spiral…that you keep coming back and revisiting those (concepts) and building on them.” Long’s eighteen years of experience as a teacher has allowed him to find many solutions to challenges. He said, “The more years you teach and the more professional development you attend…you pick up more resources and tools to use. So I feel, oh yeah, there (are) always challenges and there's always more to learn, but I feel like bring it on.” When asked whether gender has impacted his success or ability to deal with challenges, Long does not feel it matters. He said, “I would be successful either way, but…you know that there are certain students who maybe respond differently, you know, I don't know. That's a hard one.”
Kastner found it challenging to get students to realize that there is a lot more music in the world than what is currently playing on the radio at any given time. He felt that it is important to point out that music has a long history, and that composers and artists base new works on the styles of the past. Kastner said that, “For a lot of the kids, going back ten or twenty years in the music timeline even, for them was an oldie of course, and they didn't realize where it had come from.” He felt that if students know the sources of popular music, they will be better informed musicians and consumers of music. As with the previous teachers, when he was asked whether he felt that his gender
